DarkHunter Beauty and The Panther
by spaz19892000
Summary: Join Marissa and her best friend Adam Alexander as they embark on the journey of life after high school, through love, friendship, family, and danger. Rate T but will have some M chapters that will have an A/N chapter before as a warning
1. Prologue

**A/N: So this is the story I mentioned at the end of the Butterfly Kisses Story. Sorry its taken this long but the story is coming to me in disjointed parts and I'm trying to join them in a way that makes sense. So here's the Prologue, I'm not sure when I'll be about to get the next chapter up but if all goes according to plan it should be tomorrow night some time. Also for anyone whose interested I have sent a request in to have a BAD Agency Series category added. **

**I own nothing, even the characters I made up have been based off of something in the series so I give credit for Sherrilyn for them too. LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!**

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**Prologue**

Marissa sighed before heading down the stairs to the living room. She stopped half-way down the stairs when she heard voices coming from the room. _Damn it,_ she thought. Her uncles and aunts were over, that was so not what she needed. Luckily Adam met her at the base of the stairs.

"Did you talk to her?" He whispered.

Marissa nodded. "She swung the idea by Dante and he said sure. Erik swung it by his parents too and Wulf agreed so we have two places to go. Now there are just the obstacles in the living that have to be overcome and we're all but gone." She whispered back before leading the way into the living room. Standing in the doorway she stopped and Adam came up beside her. No one had noticed them yet. "Is it too late for us to just hop in my car and drive up to Minnesota?" Just then her Uncle Ash's eyes landed on them.

Adam quietly chuckled. "Oh yeah, I think its way too late for that option now."

Marissa elbowed her best friend/cousin in the ribs. She smiled at his grunt before addressing everyone there. "Hey guys we;" she pointed between her and Adam, "have an announcement to make. Now our original idea was to just hightail it the hell out of town, but in light of certain key facts being remembered," Marissa stared at her uncle Ash, _Yes I mean the fact that you and your all knowing self would know where we were,_ she thought to him, "we've decided to tell you first. Graduation is in a month, after the ceremony Adam and I are going to fly up to Minnesota. We're going to spend the summer working and singing in Inferno. After the summer we pretty sure we're coming home for school." Marissa noticed her dad was charging up to say something. "Before anyone says anything, this isn't a 'mommy, daddy can I go please' thing. This is a 'we're going and we wanted to let you know' thing." Marissa let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

She watched as her father and her uncle Julian seemed to be having a starring match, or a silent conversation. Which it was she couldn't be sure. Her mother and her aunt Grace were rubbing their respective husband's backs while smiling at each other. In truth it seemed that Kyrian Hunter was having a much harder time with the idea than his best friend/brother Julian Alexander. Marissa could understand that. She was the oldest, her father's first child ever, in this life or his last. It was harder for him to contemplate letting her go. Whereas her uncle had already had to let two children leave the house and break out on their own, but those two had stayed in New Orleans, Adam was about to move to the other end of the country. So quietly in the doorway Marissa and Adam waited to find out how this was going to play out.

"Does Dante know?" Ash broke the silence.

"Yes, Rina asked him about it last week. And if anything happens and we have to move Erik talked to his parents and Wulf said we're more than welcome there." Adam replied.

Marissa looked back at her father and realized that he was starring right at her. "This is what you want?" He asked.

"Yes. I have to leave. I've grown up here, and then I'm going to do four more years of school here. I want to see more than New Orleans before I have to work." She replied calmly.

"So you want to leave." Kyrian commented thickly.

Marissa's eyes filled with tears as she realized that her father thought she wanted to leave him that this was because of him. She rushed to kneel in front of her father. "Oh, no Daddy, I'm not leaving, not really. I'm taking a vacation. I'm coming back. I promise I'll come back."

Kyrian shook his head as he tried to hold his own tears in. He reached up and wiped hers. "No Princess you can't promise that. If you find something there worth staying for; you need to stay there." He pulled her to him and hugged her. "I think it's a great idea."

Marissa leaned back to look at him. "Really, you do?" Kyrian nodded.

"Well I can't exactly say no now can I?" Julian laughed. He nodded to Adam. "You should go. It'll do you good."

"And if you two get bored, there's always trips to Seattle, Reno, Vegas, and New York to name a few, the dark hunters there love the four of you." Marissa smiled at her Aunt Tabitha's comment. Seattle meant seeing Ravyn and Cael and Dragon and Zoe, Reno meant seeing Jess and Andy, Vegas was where Kat and Sin and their daughter Mia and Zakar and Kish and Damien lived, and New York was where Styxx and Gary were. Yeah seeing them would be great too.

The next day Marissa and Adam were in their history course. A course for the life of them they couldn't remember why they took it. Once the bell rang Marissa nodded to Adam who had to rush to his next class while she took her time because she had a free period and her uncle Ash was giving her a ride to work. Just as she finished packing up her books Clarissa Felts appeared in front of her. Marissa mentally groaned. She and Clarissa had known each other their entire lives; they had been on the cheerleading squad together for since they started high school four years ago. They had been relatively good friends until Kyle Hert. He and Marissa had been dating for ten months when it ended just before Christmas this year. He had wanted to go all the way while Marissa refused. When Kyle wouldn't take no for an answer Marissa had called it quits.

But Clarissa couldn't leave it at that. She had always had a thing for Kyle who had a thing for Marissa. So after the Christmas break on the first day back at school Clarissa had told the whole squad and most of the student body that over the break she and Kyle had slept together and that Marissa was so bad that halfway through he left her in the bed and went to Clarissa's bed. Marissa didn't know what she would have done without Adam, his little brother Matt, the Runningwolf twins, her cousin Valerian, and her little brother NJ. But that was months ago and now it didn't bother Marissa at. After all rumor had it that in the six months of their relationship so far Clarissa and Kyle had had three pregnancy scares, Kyle had cheated on her with at least a quarter of the cheerleaders, and Clarissa had slept with almost half of the football team. Oh yeah life was great for them.

"What do you want Clarissa?" Marissa sighed as she lifted her bag to her shoulder and looked at Clarissa.

"Rumor has it that you're leaving this summer." Clarissa said smugly.

Marissa sighed and walked past her knowing that Clarissa was going to follow. "Rumor has it, uh? So that basically translates into you heard Ceara Runningwolf asking me about it and you want the details so you can twist them. Is that about right?" She asked over her shoulder to her ex-friend. She had got a lot of her traits from her mom but one of the ones she loved that she had gotten from her dad was his sarcasm and wit. One of the few things that kept her sane in the hell hole she called a school.

"So is it true that you're leaving because you don't have a boyfriend and because you can't bear to attend the summer parties knowing that everyone knows you suck in bed? And that no good looking guy would ever be within ten square miles of you?" Clarissa asked in a voice so sweet Marissa almost certain she had just gotten three cavities.

They walked through the door and as Marissa put on her sunglasses she noticed a car and a person she was so grateful to see. Marissa sent a few thanks heavenward that her uncle was leaning on the passenger side of his Porsche right in the front of the school. She ventured down the stairs. "Not that I think this will actually get back to anyone, but no. I'm going because I have other opportunities where I'm headed." Clarissa was still on her heels as she got to the bottom of the stairs. Marissa stopped and smiled at Ash who smiled back without moving from his current stance of leaning against the car with his arms crossed across his chest. Clarissa noticed the man and smiled sweetly to him.

"Hi there handsome." She said in a flirty voice that made Marissa roll her eyes. "Can I help you with something?" She continued batting her eyelashes. Marissa had to work hard to contain her laughter.

"It's not going to work Clarissa. He's happily married." Marissa commented. She smiled at the glare that Clarissa sent her way over her shoulder before she approached her uncle. Smiling she jumped into his arms and he hugged her to him. Wrapped her arms around his neck she whispered in his ear. "Uncle Ash can I borrow Simi. I want her to eat that chick behind me."

Ash laughed as he kissed the side of her head before whispering back. "Sorry ma komatia. No hurting the humans, you know that."

Marissa laughed and whispered back. "But this one's evil. I think she's in line with Stryker. Simi should eat her as a precaution." Ash laughed as he put her back on the ground.

"You know him?" Clarissa asked shocked.

Marissa turned back to her. "Yeah he's my uncle. Oh and Clarissa, on the off chance you actually feel like telling people the truth. You ever heard of a club in Minnesota called Dante's Inferno."

Clarissa nodded, apparently still trying to get over the shock. "Yeah it's the hottest club in the northeast. Huge security, no underagers ever."

"Yeah well the owner, Dante, is practically family and his sister is one of my best friends. I'm heading up there to work the club." With that she turned back to her uncle. "Ready to go?"

Ash grabbed her backpack and threw it in the backseat and shut the door. "Ready and waiting." Marissa smiled as she got in the car. They were headed to Sanctuary, her job since she was fifteen.

* * *

Finally the time had come. Marissa sat in the auditorium listen to a speech given by one of the guests. It was her and Adam's graduation. They had done it, they had survived high school. Suddenly the names were being called and Marissa listened intently. There was low level clapping for all the graduates and then Adam was called and his awards were lists. There was an uproar of claps. But then she expect that, they had half the in-town dark hunters both current and freed were here, Aphrodite and Hephaestus had come, their parents and their siblings, Eros and Psyche had come, half of the Sanctuary staff, the Kattaklis', Ash and Tory, Zarek and Astrid with their children, Jess and Andy had driven in, Kat and Sin with their children, Marissa's grandparents, and then two of Marissa's aunts and their families. Marissa swore half the seats were for them.

As it was her row's turn to head to the stage Marissa followed the flow down the aisle. Adam had been sitting in an aisle seat and as she passed him he grabbed Marissa's hand. She smiled down at him and gently squeezed. Sighing she waited patiently in line, all the while silently praying that the ceremony would end quickly. Aimee and Fang had insisted throwing them a graduation party at the bar tonight after the ceremony. It would be the first time since the bar had been rebuilt that it was closed by choice and not circumstance. Finally her name was called and Marissa's turn came. All she had expected was to receive her diploma and be done. But she soon found out she was wrong.

"Marissa Hunter. Tonight Marissa Hunter not only receives her diploma but also the following awards; highest overall standing in the graduating class tied with Adam Alexander, highest standing in advanced history tied with Adam Alexander, highest standing in advanced mathematics, cheerleaders award from the New Orleans Saints Cheerleaders, and highest female standing in physical education."

Marissa stood stunned as she received her awards. She was only vaguely aware of the boisterous clapping coming from her party. She had no idea that she was getting all that. She knew she had good grades but there was a working arrangement in their house. She never looked at her report cards and her parents never told her what she had. They would tell her they were proud and show it off but she never wanted to know what she had. She did her best and that was all that mattered to her. So to know that she had the highest standing in so many things shocked her.

And then the cheerleading award sunk in and she internally cursed. She was now so thankful that she was leaving tomorrow morning and wouldn't have to deal with Clarissa. It just understood that Clarissa would receive the award; she was the squad captain after all. _Oh, she is not going to be happy about this_, Marissa thought as she got off the stage and headed back to her seat. The only constellation was that she was in the H section thanks to her last name and Clarissa Zeal was in the Z section.

As the ceremony was concluding Marissa stuffed everything into the purse she had hid under her seat and silent got out of her seat and made her way to kneel in the aisle beside Adam's chair. "What are you doing here? You're going to get in trouble." He whispered to her.

"I have my diploma, I graduated. What are they going to do, suspend me? Besides I can't throw my cap back there when my best friend is up here." She reached over and grabbed his hand as they smiled at each other. Many people didn't understand their relationship. They were family, best friends, practically twins. What made people who didn't really know them wonder was the way they acted. Holding hands, arms around shoulders, hugging, laying heads on shoulders, people often said they acted more like a couple than anything else. The one that really got people was the cheeks kisses, it just made her and Adam laugh, they were Greek after all.

As their peers stood Adam joined Marissa in the aisle. As everyone tossed their hats in the air Adam and Marissa joined them. Once their hats had flown off Marissa smiled up at Adam, squealing she jumped into his waiting arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Adam spun her around a few times before putting her back on the ground. Adam leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Take the gown off and leave it on the seat." Marissa did and once the gown was on the seat and her purse was once again on her shoulder Adam took her hand, turned around and ran for the exit. As they ran hand in hand for the exit they received funny looks from people but they just laughed. When they ran past their group they looked at them and laughed hard but never slowed down. They made it outside and Marissa noticed that Adam's Viper was sitting in the parking lot.

"You planned that exit didn't you?" Marissa looked at him as she helped put the top down.

"Yeah, Niklos and Vanessa helped plan it. Niklos drove it over and Vanessa's driving him to the bar. I thought a drive around town would be nice." He said as they sat.

"Regular rules apply?" She smiled at him as she belted herself in and put on her sunglasses.

"Of course. No commenting on my driving and you control the radio." He laughed.

* * *

"Perfect." She laughed reaching for the radio. Knowing Adam keep their CD in at all times she turned it to track three. As the first few chords blasted through the speakers their 'family' exited the auditorium. Just as the last one filed out of the door the words started and Adam lay on the gas and they peeled out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell, complete with Marissa's raised arm and scream of happiness.

They were all at the airport. Marissa was hugging Amanda while Kyrian watched. She moved from her mother to Nick, who was freely letting the tears roll down his cheeks. He hugged his big sister close and Kyrian could hear him whisper to her. "I don't want you to leave." He paused before he spoke again quieter still but Kyrian caught it. "Be careful and call me. I love you Ri-ri."

Kyrian had to choke back the tear as Nick used the name he had called his sister as a toddler. He looked away before the tears could escape to see Julian hugging Adam to him as Grace cried as Niklos held her. Marissa moved to her little sister before coming to him. She stood in front of him and all his could see was the baby he had held, the little girl on her first pony ride, the funny cake, now she was nineteen and leaving. She and Adam were headed up to Minnesota to Dante's club where Marissa was going to work and sing for the next three months or more. Kyrian held his arms out to her and she walked into them.

"I'm so proud of you for breaking out on your own." He whispered. "But I don't want to let you go. I want you to stay but I know you can't. I know you have to fly on your own. Just remember that you will always be able to come home. Remember what your uncle Ash, Vane, Fury, Fang, Aimee, and Dev said, just a call and any of them will flash you back home." He took a shuddering breath. "I love you baby girl." He kissed her cheek.

"I love you too daddy." She leaned back and kissed his cheek before she left to join Adam. As Kyrian watched they walk toward the gate he knew that she was his little caterpillar that had just become a butterfly and was flying away.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry that it has taken me this long to give you the next chapter when I promised it the next night. Unfortunately my computer got a virus and decided that it wanted to be a pain in the neck. Anyway long story short this is the next chapter. I won't make any promises on when the next one will be up cause with the long period time that the computer was crashed for I couldn't write cause I didn't know where I was. **

_Dear Mom, Dad, NJ, Paxton, and Jaelyn_

_So Adam and I landed on time for once, shocking I know but I guess there's a first time for everything. I still prefer when someone just flashes us around, it's so much more reliable. But such is the life I guess. _

_Dante, Pandora, Eric, and Rina came to the airport to get us. It's nice to see them again. Bob popped in an hour after we got there. So the five of us spent hours trying to figure out what songs we want for the show tomorrow night and we have a few but nothing close to a full set. But we'll figure it out and get it done for tomorrow, we always do. _

_Wulf called my cell two hours after we got to the club looking for Eric. It's weird how even when I leave New Orleans everybody's calling me to find their kids. While we were talking, mostly me making fun of his inability to keep track of his oldest, he and Cassandra invited Adam, Bob, Rina, and I over for dinner tomorrow. So we figure we can visit with them for a while and then come back to the club to do the show and work. _

_Other than that nothing's really happened yet. All we did was work on a set list. I will email again soon. Give all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, all the dark-hunters, weres, squires, and friendly demons my best. _

_Love always and forever, _

_Rissa_

Just as Marissa closed her laptop there was a knock at her door. "Come in." She called. Marissa turned her chair at the sound of the door opening to watch Dante walk into the room to lean on the foot board of the bed.

"All settled in?" He asked. Dante was one of the many people who had become extended family over the years. He had been an older brother to her since she and his younger sister Rina had become best friends.

"Yep, everything's unpacked. The three of us tried to sit down and work out the set list for the show tomorrow but we didn't get more than a handful of songs picked, but we have all day tomorrow so we're not worrying yet."

Dante laughed. "You four will figure it out. You always do. I have been informed, quite forcefully, by your father to make sure that you email them at least once every three days."

Marissa laughed. More than likely the 'forcefully' meant that her dad had threatened to send her uncle Ash and uncle Nick up to deal with him should they not receive an email. And everyone knows that anything that happens to Marissa is taken as a personal hit to both of her uncles.

"Don't worry Dante. There'll be no late night visits I just hit the send button." Marissa looked at her clock and realized that the bar would be closed now. "You heading in for the night?" She asked.

"Yep, what about you? You still a horrible night owl who still has the uncanny ability to be a annoyingly chipper morning person?"

"I feel as if I should be insult by that. But yes I am and no I am not heading to bed yet. I was going to head down to the kitchen for a midnight snack." She got up and followed Dante into the hallway.

"Alright. Good night Marissa."

"Night Dante."

Marissa made her way down to the kitchen. As she descended the last flight of stair she began singing 'Me Against The World' her favourite Simple Plan song. Bobbing her head to the beat of her words she pushed the kitchen door open. She turned on the light and screamed as the light showed someone leaning against the closed fridge in front of her. Suddenly Dante and Romeo flashed into the room on either side of her. They both looked from her to the man against the fridge.

"Damn it Mike, how many time do we have to tell you to use the light like everyone else. Last time you nearly gave Pandora a heart attack." Dante said aggravated.

"Marissa this is our younger brother Mike." Romeo introduced. Marissa nodded that she was okay and with that they left.

Marissa looked to the man she had found in the kitchen. Marissa's breathing hitched. She felt her temperature rise at least five degrees as her eyes roamed over his body. His dark hair was cut in a short shag that begged to have her finger run through it. He was just as tall as his brothers too.

He was wearing a tight grey t-shirt that fit like a second skin, showing off his washboard abs. his jeans were tight but not too tight and they hung low on his hips displaying just enough underwear for her to notice that he was a boxers man. Her eyes finished at his bare feet before meeting his gaze.

Mike had already pushed himself from the fridge and was now standing by the island table. "Umm, sorry I scared you. I scare my sisters all the time. With the panther night vision, I often forget to turn the light on." He rambled causing a smile to play across her lips.

"That's okay. I'm so at home here I sometimes forget that it's not home. But anyway, no harm no foul." Marissa walked behind him to get an apple out of the fridge. Once she had washed the apple she sat across the island from him. "Oh by the way, I'm Marissa Hunter. I forgot to introduce myself."

"Mike Pontis." He smiled.

"Come on," Marissa laughed pouting a little like a child, "I've known your family forever. I know that Mike is not technically your real name." Smiling again she batted her eyes exaggeratedly at him. "Come on now, what's your real name? All Dante and Rina have ever said is my brothers Mike and Leo for short."

He laughed as he finally took a seat on the stool opposite her. "Michelangelo and Leonardo, he's my twin."

Marissa smiled. "Michelangelo Pontis, very regal. Mind if I stick to Mike it seems to suit you better."

"Mike's fine. So Marissa Hunter huh? Got a middle name there Marissa?"

Marissa nodded and swallowed a bite of apple. "Mom picked Marissa so she made dad pick the middle one. He was an ancient Greek warrior so he saddled me with Cleopatra; it means glory of the father. He's a real sap when it comes to the family and he always says that mom and I were his first greatest glories. Quickly followed by my three siblings."

"You must be very close to your family." Marissa nodded and then something seemed to click for Mike before he continued. "Wait a second; your last name is Hunter? As in Kyrian Hunter, formally known as the dark-hunter Kyrian of Thrace?"

Marissa laughed. "Yep, that's my daddy." She exaggerated her southern accent a little for a laugh.

He laughed with her. "So if all your family is in New Orleans what are you doing here?"

"Well, Rina and I have been best friends since Dante and Pandora brought her to New Orleans for the reopening of Sanctuary years ago. We started a band together with my cousin and two friends when Rina and I were fifteen. Since we're all high school now Dante said we could work and sing here at the club."

"So you and my baby sister have been friends for years?" Marissa nodded as she chewed an piece of apple. "And we've never met?" He asked slightly surprised.

Marissa shrugged. "You and/or Leo were never here when my uncle or Dev brought me by and you guys never came down to New Orleans."

Mike nodded and shrugged in agreement. "I guess that makes sense." Mike yawned. "Well Marissa its been nice meeting you. I'll see you around, right?"

Marissa nodded. "I'm here for a few months."

"Good." Mike headed to the door but before he left he turned back to her. "Good night Marissa Cleopatra Hunter."

"Good night Michelangelo Pontis."


End file.
